The Truth on Topsoil

Plainly, topsoil is the dirt that you see when you walk outside in your day-to-day. It makes up the top two to eight inches of Earth’s surface. Topsoil is ultimately made to improve the overall look and condition of your space, whether it be residential or commercial.  
Topsoil can be screened or unscreened. At USA Materials, we focus on screened topsoil, meaning that it has undergone a screening to remove debris like rocks and sticks, along with clumps bigger than the screening size. The process is done by sifting the topsoil through mesh screens, which can be a variety of sizes. The smaller the mesh size, the finer the consistency of the topsoil. When the topsoil maintains a consistent size, water can flow through it and important nutrients are able to be distributed through that process. Be mindful that if topsoil is coming from a construction site, it is likely to be unscreened with the potential to have multiple types of debris within it. If in use for a commercial site, screened topsoil can be put on top of unscreened if the unscreened topsoil is not too full of debris. This will help to stabilize the area and ensure that drainage is not prohibiting plant growth in those areas.  
There are a few types of popular topsoil: loamy, sandy and clay. Loamy tends to be equal parts of sand, clay, and silt, while the other two are higher in sand content or clay content. It is important to get the right type of topsoil based on location and type of project it will be used for.   
USA Materials is currently screening dry topsoil at our 11800 Deerhill Road location! Call us at (804) 640-4646 or visit us for pricing and to schedule a delivery today!